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Former Trump national security advisor John R. Bolton denied accusations that he had illegally published classified information in his 2020 memoir on working in the Trump administration to a crowd of hundreds at Harvard Kennedy School.
“There’s nothing in the book that’s classified. That’s why there was a pre-publication review,” Bolton said on Monday, as Department of Justice officials look to indict him for mishandling information.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided Bolton’s home in August, and officials said the found “confidential” documents as part of a rapid federal investigation.
Bolton served during President Donald Trump’s first term for 17 months before he was ousted over disagreements on foreign policy strategies. He published his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened” in 2020, which Trump alleged disclosed confidential information.
Trump attempted to file suit against Bolton following the book’s publication, but the Justice Department dropped the case during President Joe Biden’s term.
Bolton is one of many political opponents that Trump has targeted since taking office. Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on Thursday following a verbal directive from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that prosecutors charge the president’s political opponents. Comey denies the charges, which include obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
At the HKS forum on Monday, Bolton called Trump “an aberration in American politics.”
“There has never been anything like this before, and hopefully never will be again,” Bolton said.
When asked about Trump’s decision to revoke Bolton’s Secret Service protection just hours after his inauguration, Bolton said there were “very real” threats against his life from Iranian officials. Bolton wrote in his memoir that he had advised the president to launch a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities during Trump’s first term.
“Trump was asked if something happens to Bolton and these other people, do you feel you’re responsible? And he said no,” Bolton said.
His appearance at HKS prompted school officials to increase event security. Police officers, security guards, and Bolton’s private security staffed the forum, and attendees passed through a metal detector and bag checks to enter.
The Monday evening forum came just hours after Trump unveiled an agreed-upon proposal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for an immediate cease-fire based on a series of conditions for Hamas and Israel.
Bolton said he was not confident the deal will hold.
“I don’t think what was announced today is going to happen,” he said.
Bolton, who is known for his staunch pro-Israel views, argued that the Palestinian people did not have a right to self-determination on Monday.
“I don’t think there is a Palestinian state. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a Palestinian state,” he said.
As the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton has frequently advocated for U.S. intervention abroad. He reaffirmed his support for U.S. action to topple regimes in Iraq and Iran and called for greater scrutiny around growing ties between China and Russia.
Bolton also applauded the U.S. and Israel’s joint strikes of Iran’s nuclear facilities last June as a step in the right direction.
“People as a whole saw that the regime was powerless to stop the U.S. and Israel from destroying its critical asset,” he said. “That has contributed to the feeling that the regime's days are numbered.”
